Page 10 of Business Temptations

Six years later…

“You have a meeting with Sherwood Mills in fifteen minutes,” Bailey announced, walking into Matteo’s office without knocking. “And I think you should take me with you this time.”

Matteo looked up from the contract he’d been reviewing and Bailey tried not to squirm as Matteo’s eyes moved over her body. He wasn’t interested in her, she reminded herself. So the flash in his eyes…it meant nothing. They were friends, she reminded herself. Just friends.

“Why should I take you?” Matteo asked, leaning back in his leather chair. “You irritate the man.” He picked up his expensive pen and fiddled with it, tapping it against his shoulder. It was such an odd habit, but Bailey knew why he did it. Old habits were hard to break, she thought.

“We might be a multi-billion dollar company now, but Sherwood will try to reduce the price by nine or ten percent and you will get disgusted and just walk out.”

Bailey watched as Matteo thought about it, then nodded slowly. “He doesn’t need a discounted price,” Matteo asserted firmly. “So of course, I would walk away.”

She grumbled and stepped forward, sitting down in one of the leather chairs in front of Matteo’s desk. Mentally, she sighed, wishing that Matteo could be fat and ugly. Instead, the man was ridiculously handsome with the height and muscles that only made his impressive intelligence all the more enticing!

She’d always thought of Matteo as impressively smart, but after working with him for several years, she understood that his brilliance was off the charts. What would he do if she leaned forward and kissed him? Would he be angry? Repulsed? Would it mess with their…?

Mentally, she chided herself for thinking along those lines. Matteo was just her friend and business partner. There wouldn’t, couldn’t, be anything more between them than a deep, abiding friendship. She’d had this conversation with herself several times over the years, but for some reason, she still…!

Well, it was ridiculous. She had to accept that the man wasn’t ever going to see her as anything more than a friend and she would never be his lover. That was it. This was the extent of their relationship. They were just…best friends.

Unfortunately, her heart rebelled at the thought. No matter how many times she tried to think of Matteo as a brother, it didn’t work. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man, and a whole lot more!

“Do I have a stain on my shirt?” Matteo demanded, interrupting her train of thought. He looked down and smoothed his hand over his flat, hard stomach.

Bailey blinked, lifting her eyes back up to his. “I’m sorry?”

He did that stereotypical Spanish gesture that always fascinated her. “You were staring at me as if I had a stain on my shirt.”

She blushed and looked away, praying that Matteo didn’t notice her pink cheeks. That was happening more and more often, she thought, wondering why it was so hard to hide her attraction for the man lately.

“No, sorry.” Except, she wasn’t sorry! Not sorry at all! The only thing she was sorry about was the fact that she’d never get to stare at him like she wanted to. If she had her way, Bailey would strip the man naked and order him to stand in front of her so that she could examine each and every muscle on his incredibly tall frame. She’d touch him everywhere, explore all of those muscles, and find out what…!

Clearing her throat, she forced her thoughts back to business. “Sherwood,” she reminded him – and herself.

Matteo tapped his pen on his shoulder again and Bailey swallowed a giggle at the disgust on his handsome features. “Sherwood is un bufon.” He waved his hand in the air as he unnecessarily translated. “A buffoon.”

Goodness, she loved listening to his accent! His Spanish ancestry was so much a part of him, and it made him even more attractive.

She blinked, reminding herself that he was her best friend. Just a friend!

Bailey shifted away from him slightly, straightening her shoulders to try and regain control of her libido. Her mind was veering off topic far too often lately. “Yes, but he is also the chief executive officer of one of the fastest growing car manufacturers. He wants the additive to make his vehicles more efficient and we,” she turned to give him “the look”, before finishing, “want his business.”

Matteo’s lips twitched with amusement. “But not at a ten percent discount,” Matteo asserted firmly.

Bailey chuckled. “Agree. But how about if we don’t alienate him before we have a chance to discuss various business options with him?”

Matteo laughed and it took every ounce of control inside of Bailey not to melt into a puddle of lust. His voice was low and deep and soooo sexy! If Matteo had ever thought of becoming a singer, he could have made millions with his voice.

Granted, he’d made billions with his business brilliance. But that didn’t alter the fact that Bailey loved to listen to his voice.

“We don’t need his business.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re right, we don’t. And to be honest, he’s not my big fish. I want him on board because he’ll bring Sustriano and Megalan to the table,” she explained, referring to his competition. “His competitors are three times the size of Sherwood’s operation.”

Matteo leaned back in his chair, regarding her carefully. “Have you ever thought about ditching this business insanity? Maybe retiring to a tropical island somewhere? A place where you don’t wake up at four thirty in the morning and go for a run at five?”

She laughed, folding her arms over her chest as she mock-glared at him. “I slept in this morning.”

He lifted a dark eyebrow. “You slept until four-forty-five, didn’t you?”

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